2018 Census - proposed products and services - Stats NZ
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2018 Census – proposed products and services
2018 Census – proposed products and services provides an overview of changes we’ve made to our
content, processes, and website and describes proposed 2018 Census product types and services.
Sections in this paper:
Importance of census data
Things have changed since the 2013 Census
Unleashing the power of census information to change lives
Timing of 2018 Census information releases
Proposed products and services
Next steps – engagement
Importance of census data
The 2018 New Zealand Census of Population and Dwellings, held on Tuesday 6 March 2018, is the
official count of how many people and dwellings there are in New Zealand.
The aim of a census is to produce the best possible count of the population and dwellings. We want to
deliver the count (along with other related statistical information) to customers through a useful and
accessible range of products and services.
Information from the census helps determine how billions of dollars of government funding is spent in
the community. It is used to help make decisions about which services are needed and where they
should be, such as hospitals, kōhanga reo, schools, roads, public transport, and recreational facilities.
Census information is used by councils, community groups, iwi, and businesses to plan for the future.
Census data will be integrated into the overall suite of Stats NZ’s products and services using
corporate tools and products. Stats NZ will produce a variety of products based on, but not limited to,
data from 2018 Census and previous censuses particularly 2013 and 2006.
Products on our website will range from topic and place based summaries, designed to be used by
members of the public, to detailed configurable data tables, which are mainly intended for
government, education, and research organisations. Data support services from the Stats NZ
Information Centre, including customised requests, will continue to be available.
1
2018 Census – proposed products and services
Product development based on customer segments
We used Stats NZ’s customer segments to help group the needs, profiles, and preferences of like
customers see figure 1.
The groupings do not negate the value of understanding individual customers and their specific needs,
but they do make it possible to make strategic decisions about designing and delivering information
and expertise to meet their needs. Final content and timing of releases will be guided by the
prioritised customer segments.
Figure 1
Customer segments and sub-segments
Our website (www.stats.govt.nz) will be the main way to access data from the 2018 Census. All our
standard published census results will be available free of charge through the website.
22018 Census – proposed products and services
Things have changed since the 2013 Census
Here is background to changes we’ve made to our content, processes, classifications, systems, and
website that affect how you will use and access data and information from the 2018 Census.
The 2018 Census is different
We have modernised the way we run the 2018 Census, adopting a digital first approach and aiming to
make the census as cost effective as possible while also ensuring high quality data for our customers.
See 2018 Census – a modernised, digital first census for a summary of the key operational phases and
changes to the way we conducted the 2018 Census. The 2018 Census strategy focuses our efforts and
guides our work programme and outputs.
We recognise that census is reliant on the public and communities to self-complete census forms and
encourage participation from hard-to-reach groups. It is important that 2018 Census delivers value for
a wide range of established and potential customers.
2018 Census is ‘online first’
We posted letters with a unique access code, for people to respond online, to approximately 80
percent of dwellings in New Zealand. Paper forms have been available for people who preferred them.
An online census allows for automatic routing, autofill and as-you-type functions, piped information,
and prompts to complete high priority questions. It is expected that these options will help
respondents and improve data quality.
Content of 2018 Census
We reviewed content to ensure the 2018 Census reflects the information needs of our customers. As a
result, we will be collecting some new topics in the 2018 Census including:
usual residence one year ago
housing quality (access to basic amenities, dwelling dampness indicator, dwelling mould
indicator)
main means of travel to education and educational institution address.
We have made major changes to questions about:
usual residence five years ago. This will not be included as a question in 2018. The information
will be produced using a combination of census and administrative data
main types of heating. Information on the types of appliances used will be collected rather
than just the fuel types and the data will indicate the main types of heating used rather than
all types
main means of travel to work. Usual means of travel will be collected rather than means of
travel on census day and there will be a separate category for ferries
disability/activity limitation. These will be used to derive an indicator of disability status for
the New Zealand population (aged five years and over). Disability data will be produced
directly from the census for the first time. This will allow comparison of levels of participation
by disabled people in aspects of life covered by the census (such as employment and
education) with those of non-disabled people to see if disabled people are achieving social
inclusion. However, it will not be directly comparable with the previous information on
disability.
2018 Census report on final content provides details on what has changed and what has stayed the
same.
32018 Census – proposed products and services
Our processes have changed
We have changed the way census forms are processed (ie turned into data). For example, we will
increase imputation (assigning a value where a response is missing, or unidentifiable). To improve
information about families and households, people away from home on census night will be
‘repatriated’ (or returned) to their usual dwelling.
The extensive changes we are implementing are expected to increase data quality. However, the data
will be thoroughly evaluated in terms of impacts to quality and time-series. Any potential impacts will
be noted and communicated to users of the data.
Redesigned Stats NZ website
From feedback and testing we learned that customers found it difficult to find data on our old site. The
new website features simpler navigation and faster access to our most popular tools and content. All
releases are related to one or more topics. You can filter content by topic, survey, and/or content
type.
We’ve changed the way we present insights and data on the new site. Visual changes include a
cleaner, less cluttered look, and more use of imagery and data visualisations, including dynamic
graphs. We’re also making it easier to find the data files for those who want to delve deeper.
Geographic areas have been reviewed
Meshblocks remain the smallest geographic units but have been significantly reviewed. They will not
be a standard output geography for 2018. A meshblock is a defined geographic area, varying in size
from part of a city block to a large area of rural land. Meshblocks have an ideal size range of 30–60
dwellings (around 60–120 residents).As the lowest-level building block, the meshblock classification is
primarily an input geography that supports the electoral system, survey enumeration, and higher-level
geographies such as regional councils, city and district councils, and district health boards. The number
of meshblocks has increased from 46,637 in 2013 to 53,589 in 2018.
Statistical area 1 (SA1) is a new output geography that allows the release of more detailed information
about population characteristics than is available at the meshblock level. They are derived from one or
more meshblocks and are intended to be the smallest geographic area for published output. SA1s
have an ideal size range of 100–200 residents, and a maximum population of about 500. Roughly,
19,000 of the 29,889 SA1s (about two-thirds) consist of a single meshblock.
The statistical area 2 (SA2) geography replaces the current area unit geography. SA2s are built from
aggregations of the SA1 geographies to reflect communities of interest. In populated areas, they
generally contain similar-sized populations.
See Statistical standard for geographic areas 2018 for more information about these changes.
We’re reviewing the confidentiality rules for 2018 Census
All information included in 2018 Census products and services will be reported in a way that reduces
the chance of identifying any person or household. Personal information is protected by the Statistics
Act 1975 and is kept confidential by Stats NZ. We apply confidentiality techniques to minimise the
chance of disclosure for disseminated data.
42018 Census – proposed products and services
We are investigating new methods for confidentialising data. These methods need to meet the desired
future environment for census data dissemination by being:
easy to apply (internally)
more customisable (externally)
less suppression
meets the Stats NZ values for confidentiality: utility, safety, simplicity, and consistency.
Unleashing the power of census information to change lives
Our aim is to produce a seamless experience for all customers through a range of valuable and
accessible products and services that deliver and demonstrate the value of census participation. Stats
NZ’s target is to double the value of our data by 2018.
Our review of 2013 Census products and services concluded that, overall, we produced a successful
suite of products and services from the 2013 Census. The number of products released was greater
than planned, with all products released as per the schedule. In addition, users were provided
customised data which met expectations for timeliness and quality.
However, customers have told us about improvements we could make, including:
better integration between text-based overviews, detailed tables, and information about the
data
to be able to customise data for themselves, with ability to select variables for a table or
compare areas on a map
improved accessibility – they want to find what they are looking for quickly and easily and they
want easy to use tools and multiple download options (for example, machine readable
formats).
We want to build on what we did well and deliver the improvements our customers have asked for.
New and updated geographies and topics will be integrated into existing and new products.
Customers who have traditionally used census data will find a range of products that ideally meet their
information needs with increased emphasis on being able to find the accurate information they need
quickly. Data and services will be produced and actively promoted with new customers – ensuring we
show the value of census participation and community promotion during the collection phase of
census.
Progressive phases of internal and external customer engagement and promotion will help us develop
products and services that will increase the value of census data.
Timing of 2018 Census information releases
The estimated dates of data releases from the 2018 Census are listed below.
Early October 2018:
First release of data: This release will include population and occupied dwelling counts at the
national level, regional council, territorial authority, local boards, and the new statistical area
level 2 (SA2) level geography including changes since the last census. The first release
responds to customer needs for early census data and acts as a thank-you to the public for
their contribution. Data is likely to be presented through tables, maps, and news stories.
52018 Census – proposed products and services
December 2018:
Second release of data: The content of this release will be determined by the end of April
2018.
Customised data requests can be run. We will work with customers from mid-2018 to
formulate their requests.
Late 2018 or early 2019:
General and Māori electorates announced. We are working with the Electoral Commission
and Land Information New Zealand to confirm the date the Government Statistician can
announce the number of general and Māori electorates.
A phased release of free census data products will occur over subsequent months, until the end of
2019. We aim to provide an initial schedule of release dates six months before publishing (April 2018).
This will cover the first six months of releases and be progressively added to throughout 2018 and
2019.
Appropriate information about the data (metadata), including definitions, methodology, user guides,
and data quality will accompany all 2018 Census products. One 2018 Census product and services goal
is to prioritise the use of Stats NZ corporate products and tools. Our current corporate tool for
metadata is DataInfo+.
Proposed products and services
In addition to detailed tables, we will present data about topics and places in a range of different
formats. Dynamic graphs, static and interactive maps, and infographics will be used to provide insights
into the data and highlight key facts.
Table 1 matches proposed product and service types to their target customer segments. Bold ticks
indicate the primary target segment. Non-bold ticks indicate the secondary target segment.
62018 Census – proposed products and services
Table 1
Customer segments and sub-segments by product and service type
Table products Summaries and profiles Summaries and stories Microdata Reports and customised data
Configurable Small Customised Place Iw i Ethnic New s Infographics Social Indicator SURF CURF Standard Longitudinal IDI Analytical Customised Information
Customer segment Sub-segment pre-defined area configurable summaries profiles group stories media cards dataset census reports data requests Centre
tables (place dataset tables profiles and key
& topic) facts
Analytical
Central Government
General
Large
Business
Small
Large council
Local Government
Small council
Iw i Clusters & boards
Māori Interest
Pan tribal & urban
Organisation
Iw i-hapū
Research
Organisations Specialist
General media
Media Organisations
Technical/business media
Market data providers
Educational Tertiary
Organisations Compulsory
International Govt. Statistics Orgs.
Organisation Developing NSOs
Community Analytical
Organisations General
Focused Fact Finder
Individuals
Curious Enquirers
Information from censuses and other sources are grouped under topics.
Table 2 provides examples of possible topics along with proposed product types that may apply.
72018 Census – proposed products and services
Table 2
Topics by product type
Table products Profiles Summary and promotion products Microdata
News
Topic Customised Stories
configurable Place and key Indicator Longitudinal Standard Analytical
Pre-defined tables summary Iwi profiles Ethnic profile facts cards Infographic IDI census dataset SURF reports
First release P P P P P D
Auckland P P e
Culture and identity (ethnicity, f
i
birthplace, language, religion) P P P P P P P
T T T n
Business T P P P o o o e
Dwellings P o P P P p p p d
p i i i
Education and training P P P P P
i c c c b
Families and households (inc
c s s s y
relationship status, fertility) P P P P P P P
s
Health (disability and smoking) P P P P P P d d d P p
Housing (tenure, housing d e e e o
quality, facilities, phone and e f f f l
internet) P f P P P P P i i i P i
Greater Christchurch i P P P n n n c
n e e e y
Income P P P P P P P
e d d d
Internal migration P d P P o
Language P P P P b b b r
b y y y
Māori P P P P P
y a
National highlights P P P r r r n
North Canterbury c P P P e e e a
u s s s l
People aged 65 and over P P P
s e e e y
Population characteristics (age
t a a a t
and sex) P P P P P P P
o r r r i
Population and dwellings m P P P P c c c c
Qualifications e P P P h h h P a
r e e e l
Regional summaries P P P P
r r r
Transport (travel to education,
n
travel to work) P P P P P P P P e
Wellington P P e
Work and unpaid activities P P P P P P d
82018 Census – proposed products and services
Table products
Configurable pre-defined tables about a topic or place
These will be one of the main ways of creating detailed census data tables. We will provide access to
pre-defined configurable tables on a number of topics at different geographic levels, including
regional councils, territorial authorities, and statistical areas 2 (which replace area units).
Provision of tables for other geographic areas (eg electorates, district health boards, and urban rural
areas) will be driven by customer need.
Configurable pre-defined tables allow you to:
create tables from large datasets
customise some aspects of the table by filtering the variables present and changing the
layout
view metadata (information about the data) alongside the table
download your table in Excel or CSV format.
We are exploring ways to make it easier to integrate the data with mapping tools and to provide
access via an open API (application programming interface).
Customer configurable tables for selected government agencies
We are also exploring an option to provide access to datasets so that selected approved government
agencies can create and download their own customised tables.
Small area datasets
Small area datasets are primarily intended for a government, businesses, education, and research
organisations.
The 2013 Census meshblock dataset provided counts for a selected number of variables at the
highest level of each variable’s classification, with no cross tabulation (comparing one variable with
another, eg age by sex).
The meshblock dataset was highly valued by users. However, it required significant suppression of
categories where counts were low to protect confidentiality and did not allow cross tabulation. The
new statistical area 1 (SA1) is designed to provide data for small geographic areas with:
less suppression for single variable data
more detailed levels of classifications for some variables
simple cross tabulations, for example, ethnicity by age life cycle groups by sex.
We are working on confidentiality rules for meshblocks, non-standard geographies, and user-defined
geographies. Because of the increase in the number of meshblocks and the risk of disclosure of
individual information associated with user-defined geographies these rules are likely to result in
increased data suppression for non-standard geographies.
Therefore, we propose to replace the meshblock dataset with an expanded SA1 dataset.
Data based on non-standard geographies will be available from customised data services or through
microdata services.
92018 Census – proposed products and services
Profiles
Profile products present a wide range of summary information about geographic areas, topics, or
population groups through simple text, graphs, maps, and tables. Profiles will include census and
non-census data sources as relevant and as timely data becomes available. Profiles will be linked to
more detailed tables and supporting information.
Place summaries
These will provide standardised information about a geographic area, including regional councils,
territorial authorities, and statistical area 2 (SA2s).
Iwi profiles
We will publish individual iwi profiles for iwi listed in the new iwi classification (developed with an
advisory group of Māori and government agency members). We will also publish group profiles for
selected groupings of iwi.
See:
Iwi and iwi-related groups statistical classification V1.0.0
Iwi statistical standard: September 2017 released.
Ethnic group profiles
We will produce profiles for ethnic groups with a population of sufficient size. We will also ensure
profiles for each of seven Pacific ethnicities are produced: Cook Islands Maori, Fijian, Niuean,
Samoan, Tokelauan, Tongan, and Tuvaluan.
Analytical reports
Census data will contribute to reports presenting statistical information and analysis about a topic.
These reports will inform either policy or public debate. Reports will incorporate relevant data from
a range of sources including census and may be written collaboratively with other agencies.
See Women at work: 1991–2013 for an example of a report using Census data from 1991–2013.
Summaries and stories
We will communicate summaries and stories based on 2018 Census data through a variety of
channels including new stories (media releases), key facts, infographics, and social media posts.
They will:
highlight interesting findings from recently released data
tell stories about topical themes or events
promote products and services
connect participation in the census to the value of census data to show our appreciation to
for participating in 2018 Census.
Census information will contribute to ‘at-a-glance’ depictions of key indicators relating to a topic.
These indicators link key New Zealand statistics from a range of sources and act as a gateway to
other products that provide more detail.
102018 Census – proposed products and services
Microdata
Microdata is data about units of a population, such as individuals, households, or businesses.
Approved qualified researchers can access de-identified microdata for research or statistical
purposes in the public interest. No information about individual people, households, or businesses
will be published or disseminated.
Access to microdata and 2018 Census data
Access to other microdata products is strictly controlled. All published data is required to comply
with confidentially rules and checking processes. Synthetic unit record files (SURFs) are the only
microdata products that do not hold individual information, and are freely available on our website.
Other microdata products may incur a charge.
Integrated Data Infrastructure and 2018 Census
The Integrated Data Infrastructure (known as the IDI) is a database and set of protocols that gathers
and links important administrative and survey information about people in New Zealand. Approved
researchers with genuine research needs can access linked and anonymised information in the IDI.
Any findings are aggregated and confidentialised before being released from the Data Lab.
The 2013 Census dataset was linked to the IDI in 2015 and has become a valuable set of data used by
many researchers in areas that other data sources are not available. These areas include Māori
descent and iwi affiliation, family structure, and cultural variables including ethnicity and country of
birth.
2018 Census data will also be linked to the IDI as a priority product given the demand for updated
and new time series information in the IDI.
Other microdata products incorporating 2018 Census will be available including:
standard datasets – all census variables including variables that related to how the data is
processed
longitudinal census dataset – linking data from 1981–2018 Censuses.
No planned 2018 Census confidentialised unit record file (CURF)
A CURF is a sample of unit record data modified to protect the confidentiality while maintaining the
integrity of the data. The 2013 Census CURF was based on a five percent sample of census
respondents.
There has been very low uptake of the 2013 Census CURF. It had the second lowest usefulness score
in a recent review of microdata. We think this is because other microdata products such as the
standard datasets better serve the needs of researchers. For this reason, we do not propose
producing a 2018 Census CURF.
Synthetic unit-record files (SURF)
The current census SURF (from the 2006 Census) allows teachers and students to study relationships
between variables from the 2006 Census of Population and Dwellings. It contains unit-records for
300 individuals for each of the 16 regional councils around New Zealand, and 11 variables.
These records are not real people, but were generated using statistical techniques to give them
similar characteristics to census respondents. This prevents any unintentional disclosure of data
about an individual’s personal information.
112018 Census – proposed products and services
This product has had a low uptake and received the lowest ‘usefulness score’ in an unpublished
review of microdata products. Before we commit to producing a SURF for 2018 Census we want to
explore ways to make this product more useful for teachers and student, and identify what
supporting information (eg sample exercises, R packages, metadata) would increase the SURFs
usefulness.
We want to improve the value of microdata
We want to explore ways of increasing the usefulness of microdata products.
Proposed improvements include:
making the datasets available earlier
facilitating user-defined geographies by adding x,y coordinates to address fields
providing raw and early versions of the processed datasets
adding new and additional variables such as household crowding index, Jensen equivalised
household income, and individual skills index (NZSI)
working with the University of Otago to update the New Zealand Index of Deprivation
(NZDep) earlier and integrating it with microdata products. (The NZDep uses census
variables to provide a deprivation score, from 1 to 10, for each neighbourhood in New
Zealand at the time of that census.)
providing improved user guides and data dictionaries.
Engagement with microdata users in 2018 will help determine the priorities of these improvements.
Services
The following services are available for all Stats NZ data, including 2018 Census data and
information.
Customised data services
Our analysts can create datasets designed specifically for your research project. They contain only
the population and variables of interest, at the level of detail requested (or granted).
There is a cost based on an hourly rate for customised data services. We encourage users of
customised data services to collaborate with each other on joint data requests, to reduce costs.
Customers can pre-order data to speed up delivery after release.
Information services
Our information centre staff know what information is available and how it can best be used. See
Information centre for contact details.
Electoral services
The Electoral Act 1993 requires that all electorate boundaries be reviewed by the Representation
Commission (an independent body that decides the boundaries of the general and Māori
electorates).
Stats NZ has a responsibility under the Electoral Act 1993 to calculate Māori and general electoral
populations and determine the number of Māori and general electorates. Based on the latest
122018 Census – proposed products and services
electoral population figures, the electoral quota (the average population in an electorate) is
calculated.
We also work with Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) and the Electoral Commission to service the
Representation Commission as they redraft boundaries to meet the electoral quota. The electoral
population of each electorate that the Representation Commission defines must lie within 5 percent
of the electoral quota.
LINZ (for the Representation Commission) uses Stats NZ data to calculate the provisional electorate
boundaries and requests that we recalculate the electoral populations for the proposed electorate
boundaries. The recalculation process is to ensure that the new electorate boundaries are within the
electoral quota.
After the public consultation on the proposed electorate boundaries, the Representation
Commission reviews the proposed electorate boundaries and LINZ (for the Representation
Commission) requests that we recalculate the electoral populations a third time so they can set the
final electorate boundaries.
Next steps – engagement
In February 2018 we talked to customers about the proposed mix of products and services, outlined
the product development approach and identified customers planned use of 2018 data. The next
phases of customer engagement will happen progressively throughout 2018 and be targeted around
new topic areas, increasing the number and coverage of customers and the detailed development of
specific products.
Crown copyright ©
See Copyright and terms of use for our copyright, attribution, and liability statements.
Citation
Stats NZ (2018). 2018 Census – proposed products and services. Retrieved from www.stats.govt.nz.
ISBN 978-1-98-852863-2 (online)
Published in March 2018 by
Stats NZ Tatauranga Aotearoa
Wellington, New Zealand
Contact
Stats NZ Information Centre: info@stats.govt.nz
Phone toll-free 0508 525 525
Phone international +64 4 931 4600
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